On December 8th at about 7 a.m., approximately 100 police from across Santa Cruz County outfitted in riot gear raided the Occupy Santa Cruz encampment in San Lorenzo Park. The City of Santa Cruz and Police Department issued an evacuation notice on Monday, Dec. 5th to cease and desist all camping activity on Wednesday, Dec. 7th before 5 p.m.. Occupy Santa Cruz held a general assembly on Wednesday evening, and only a small number of people remained in San Lorenzo Park overnight.

The agencies conducting the raid included the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, police departments from Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley, Watsonville and UC Santa Cruz, according to a State Park Ranger who was blocking pedestrian and press access to cross the Water Street Bridge. Rangers, along with City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation, were also dismantling tents inside the park. Employees of First Alarm, a private security and policing corporation, were present as well.

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Author: Bradley Allen

Bradley Allen is a reporter and photographer in the Monterey Bay Area, and a collective member of the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center (Indybay). Follow him on social media: @BradleySA.
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